Signal device for vehicles



M. CLAF Smm. DEvcE FOR VEHICLES l Sept I1, i931.

Filed oct. 12. 192'@ d, lz

INVENTOR. 'fgue/ Ca;- BY

ATTORNEY 20 extendgffhe i.semaphoreimi??I tank 18V is schematically,indicatedf in the 7.0,

'-25 ing-fdescriptinand;aocnpanyingdravvtion :andthe left" hand signalhorily 75 n *30 a lInate'rial partgofrthis;disclosure portionyaifbottomportion 22with an up- 3QV 35. Fig. 1. ,-f

'.49 umn ofjtheA Vehiclegshofyyingf Valyes-ratj threadedlyfconnectedtherewith:y Vlamp L9 :45- rig, f6 is- @tiene 'Q59 8 is anfragmentjaryyenlargedlside isinits :Vertcalposition YandV the trunnions l'Patented-Septyilf19g3l l Y i Y l Y y This invention?relatesrtonew'andiuseful elevatioalvview of the device showing lpar-rv Yimprovements in'. aidi'reotionalffsignal-V for'y ticularlydetailsintheicasingfx.V Q fvehicles." ff:- f Y' 5 Y' The l.dire@tionalfsignalifor'Vehiclesfle'on-z The inyentionhas'foranfolojectthe'pro- Vsisteofioasinggl() for attachment uponfthe i5 visionofwa device-off-theclaslsintentioned VSide ioffa vehiclelsuchfas 1l, a serhap'horeWhich-isofsinipledurableconstruction,"dei l2 pivotally SandninovablyVmountedonfthe pendabl'einvnse`V andeirioien'tjinfactionyandV casingandarranged tonormally -assume` ya Whic'h'lcan v be .manufactured andsold;at fa Vertical retracted position 13j latched againstreaso'naloleicost;Y ai .f swinging, and a cylinder: 14 With a'fpiston 10'-The invention proposes Aacasing for atlcontrolled with, aipush. buttonValve 16 6.0. tachment iipon the side ofa vehicle7 la' sema molintedupon they steeringcolmnn 17 of they phorepivotallygan'd.movablymountedthere-S Avehioleland operatedhyA Vacuum``fronijithe on/ and arranged to normally assurneffa `Ver vacnurn tanky18 of thevehiclefor! slightly tical yretracted; pjositionfklatchedagainst raising *and extending the semaphore. l2 15 sivinginggland. a'cylinder"andpistonscone into indicating position-as'shownin Fig. .3. 65trollejdwith`r a push'bttoa'valve mounted 'The Vehicleshown in zFi'gs.1` and-Q'is onh thesteeringcolumnaof lthe jvehi'olei and provided with adirectionalsignal on both operatedbyvacuurn -frornthe' vyaouuin tankSides.y rllievcasing *10; is shown attached of:the:vehiclefonslightlyraising 4and-:then upon .the cowl ofv theVehicle.:V The 2vacuum position.V y y Vehiclelandrthe operationofthejsignaldoes *Forifmitherfrconip'rehensioniof the`invennot depend uponits location or' design. tion, and of the :objeetsf andadvantage'sFiirther the signal ontlie'right hand side of thereof,sreferenoe' will.be'hadftojthebfollow kFig-.11 isshown in its vertical retracted posif`ings, and:toftheappendedffclaimsxin'which zontalfindicating position. Y.thevariousfnovelffeaturesof Vtheinvention :The said casing-klOrieonsistsof aback porr tion195atop portionQO Withza depending frontJe'dge 2li and integral With thefback areainore particularly v:seti-lforth.

A "Inf the ffzaccoi'npanying drawings forming isafperspectiveviewfota-vehicle Ward directed front Vedgef'QB and integra-l providedfyvithdirectionalsignalsconstruct with the back portion 19,'and side" portionsed'aceording tothisinventin'; L u?" -24also integral with the hackportionand -f "FgriQ; is ya fragmentary plan view -offormedkWithfslotsQ. Each of-thefslots-'has `f Y f .A @f Y bottominelineduportion andi atop ho'r-i-` :35.

.,Figl 3- is an enlarged fragmentary sec-v zontalj portion: as may beseenroniv an iiiJ tionalviewtakenon the line 3-3:o-:Fig. 2.yspeetioirof` Eigy; v 1- i l zfqFigftgisS-aafragnientary ,enlargedgelevaY The said :semaphore 512 consists "of'a hol-1 tional -viewfzof aportionofV thesteeringf col 1 .lowY armla26 and: aflioll'oW pointed"iront 27 Y taelledigP'r4 ;f-.' .y 28"is supportedjwithinthegsemajphrefor Fig. 5 isan enlargedxsectional. detailed itsillumination: cabley QQVeXtends from` viewfof,onewoftheyalvestakenonthe-hlinel the lampk socketto arcontact 301'upon'the 5j, 5fQflFig.r4g^Y'inneren'd of thearm fwhichi's curvedasv rrge'ddetailed ksectionalshoWn'iniFig. Trunnions 31 4project from '95y-ieyygofthepistonandgcylinderusedinthe *theoppositefsides' of thearin26 permitting device.`V ,n y the,semaphoretogassumeavhorizontal.orail.`i"g.-71 isl 'vieW- Fig. 5 but Vertical,- positiongby reasonofjengaging Within-the Slotsd'2l5g When Y vthe semaphore 1 iinilarillustrating 'indflfication semaphore into horizontal indicating posieinfan opened position.

tion consists Lof a flexible member 33 at-` tached on the Yrear end ofVthe* arm and*l extending thru aperatures 34 in the casing.

10 and in the vehicle body. `A pulley 35 is` rotatively mounted in.,these apertures and serves to guide the cable. The cable 33 connects.`with the said Vpiston '15 thru one end of the cylinder 14.- Y. Theopposite end` of the cylinder connects withl a fiexiblehose 36'havingits other end connected with the outlet 37 ofthe button Lvalve 16.7V TheinletA tothe button. valve is provided with a hose 38,.Whichconnectswith the vacuum tank 18.

The said `button switch 16 consists of a body' 39 formed'with a valveseat 40. `A valve head 41 is arranged for engaging upon 'the'seat :andis connected with a stemslidably arranged thru the body and supportingVa button 43 on its outer end. A. Coaxial (spring 44 `normally urges ithe button intoyan Vextended position. The inlet: and oatletIofgthevalve is arrangedupon opposite isidesfof the seat 40, The button43 is provided lwith a bottom projecting flange engageablewith aninwarddirected flange ofthe? valye body fory preventing complete displacementwhen the button assumes'wits outeposition. i fInFig. `7V a valve 16 hasbeen shown of slightly modifiedA form. It distinguishesv from Vthe valve16 in that' the button 43 is sldably mountedupon the end of the stein42..` In addition .the butto-1143 is provided withaprojecting portion45Yengageable yin a recess in the body when the button isin its.depressedcondition and is. slightly moved to one side. This latches theIhefsaid switch for illuminating the; sem-l aphore when; inY extended cposition consists of a stationary spring eontnctf46 `mounted on thecasingVV 1()` and engageable by the con; tact 3() when thesemaphorcfishorizontal. TheY curved inner end offthe arinv26 serves as eVcam portionV for lacting, against the spring conta-et, 46 and providingthe proper centct Whenthe arm is horizontal.y yA` lead 47 connectsWiththe spring contactf46. y For .each directional signal upon thevehicle, a control button valve is arranged u )on the steerin column.YFor o lrating i. i b

Y any oneof the signals, it is` merely necessary to depress the buttonof thebntton valveso that a passage exists thru the valve. ,The

vacuum from the vacuum tankV exhausts the airlfrom the rear of thepiston 15 causing valve the piston to move under atmospheric pressureand'rdrawing upon the cord 33, thus raising the semaphore. Y

in the horizontal extended position of the semaphore, contacts 30 and 46engage for Villuminating the latter element. VParticular attention iscalled' to the'slots 25 and the original' verticalk position 13 of thesemaphore. During the'initial stages of drawing the cordf33, thetrunnions 31A are first moved from the `bottom oithe slots to the topand then the pointed end 27 of the semaphore"V is ree from'the upturnededge 23 of the casing bottom so that upon further drawing of thercord 33pivoting takes: place. Uponfreleasing of the button'from the buttonvalve, the vacuum is cut and the semaphore slowly assumes its loweredsitio-n due to leakage of air into the cylinder14 and due to the weightof the semaphore'itself. Y Attention is. called that 'duringdescendingof the semaphore, the cord 33 maintainszthe trunnions in the topsV of.the slots 25 until the semaphore is in itsl vertical position andthenVcontinued slackeningoflthe cord permits it to drop down into theposition indicated by dot and dash lines 13.. f

i While I have shown and described .the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it isto beunderstood'that I do'not limit myself. to theprecise construction herein disclosed yand the right is reserved to allchanges :andmodifications coming within the scope; of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

- `Having thus described myVV invention, what Iclaim as new, and desiretosecnre byUnited States Letters Patent'ise` if A 1.*Inia directionalsignal for vehicles, a casing for attachment. on the side ofv a vehicle,a` semaphoreV pivotaliy and movably mounted at oneof its ends in thesaidea's` ing seY as to normally fall: into a vertical position,acordfor pulling attachedfabove the pivot point for pivotingandextending the-semaphorexinto an extended horizontal indicating position,means for pulling'vsaid cord,` `latching means YVfor preventing thesemaphore from swinging when in the said vertical position comprising 'aportion vof said casing in the path of motion of the 4free end Vofl thesemaphore, and meansV for lifting said'semaphore for' disengaging the Asemaphore from -said'latching means.

2, In a directional signal for vehicles, a casing for'attachment on theside of a vehicle, a semaphore pivotally and movably mounted at oneofits ends inthesaid cas ing so kas to normally fall ina vertical ponurthe semaphore from swinging ivhen the said verticalposition, and meansfor dis-` engaging the semaphore from said latching means, comprisingtrunnions mounted in said semaphore and engageable in curved slotsformed in the casing so that the semaphore is raisedV above the latchingmeans mounted at. one of its ends inthe said casing so as to normallyfall in a vertical position, a cord for pulling attached above the pivotpoint for pivoting and extending the semaphore into an extendedhorizontal indicatingA position, means for pulling ysaid cord, latchingimeans for preventing the semaphore Vfrom swinging when in the saidvertical position, and means for disengaging the" semaphore Yfrom saidlatchir'igV v means, comprising trunnions mounted in said semaphore andengageable 1n curved slots VJformed in the casing so that the sema- Yphore is raised above the latching means When the said cord is drawn,said `curved slots formed `With a bottom inclined portion and atop-horizontal portion.

In testimony Whereor` I have ailixed my signature. f

NIIGUEL CLAR.

